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1697041

registered interest
date	19/03/2024
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Sewage: Microplastics
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the average amount of microplastics present in sewage sludge.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	19297
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/04/2024 answer text <p>Research has been performed to improve the understanding of microplastics in sewage sludge. Defra has contributed to the design and development of the UK Water Industry Research funded and led <a href="https://ukwir.org/cip3-information" target="_blank">Chemicals Investigation Programme (CIP)</a> in this area. While the third CIP phase, reported in 2022, estimated an average mass of microplastics in final sludge products (generated from the sewage treatment processes), it was noted there could be large differences in the estimated values, and in sludge products from different works, and between sludge product samples taken at different occasions from the same treatment works.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 02/04/2024 12:46:08 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1696648

registered interest
date	18/03/2024
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Water Treatment: Microplastics
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of wastewater treatment networks in filtering out microplastics.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	19009
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2024 answer text <p>Government recently funded an external rapid evidence assessment to better understand the costs, benefits, and efficiencies of installing filters in washing machines. The filters aim to trap textile microplastic fibres during the laundry cycle and before discharge to sewer networks and wastewater treatment works. The assessment concluded further evidence was needed to determine how to avert additional costs incurred by consumers of new washing machines with filters, and the consumer’s sustainable disposal of used filters.</p><p> </p><p>A water industry investigation of the levels and types of microplastics entering a range of UK wastewater treatment works reported that conventional treatment can remove 99% of microplastics by number and 99.5% by mass.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 25/03/2024 15:48:21 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1696214

registered interest
date	14/03/2024
answering body	Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
answering dept id	215
answering dept short name	Energy Security and Net Zero
answering dept sort name	Energy Security and Net Zero
hansard heading	Solar Power: Supply Chains
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she plans to take to ensure that companies bidding for support under the Contracts for Difference Scheme are not solely reliant on China’s solar photovoltaic supply chain.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	18681
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2024 answer text <p>Renewable supply chain development is a key Government priority.  The Government asks that all large renewable projects seeking support through Contracts for Difference submit a Supply Chain Plan to the Government, setting out among other things their commitments to investment in the resilience of their supply chains, including diversification and tackling modern slavery.</p> answering member constituency West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine answering member printed Andrew Bowie question first answered 21/03/2024 09:26:17 answering member 4601 label Biography information for Andrew Bowie
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1696216

registered interest
date	14/03/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Developing Countries: Solar Power
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, how much the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment has spent on increasing the capacity of solar photovoltaic manufacturing.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	18682
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/03/2024 answer text <p>The Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) is a G7 initiative. The G7 plan to report in 2025 on amounts invested and mobilised. The UK is on track to meet our up to $40 billion contribution to the $600 billion target through our British Investment Partnerships work, which is supporting numerous renewable energy initiatives. In 2022, we improved access to clean energy for over 6 million people. Our investments include: $69 million by the Private Infrastructure Development Group; support by British International Investment to a $36 million solar PV storage plant in Mozambique; eight solar projects through Manufacturing Africa unlocking £26.7 million, and £6 million through the Transforming Energy Access platform.</p> answering member constituency Sutton Coldfield answering member printed Mr Andrew Mitchell question first answered 27/03/2024 18:03:21 answering member 1211 label Biography information for Mr Andrew Mitchell
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1696275

registered interest
date	14/03/2024
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Microplastics: Pollution
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help tackle microplastic pollution originating from textiles.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	18683
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2024 answer text <p>Microplastics can enter the environment from several sources such as vehicle tyre wear, machine-washing clothes and from textiles themselves.</p><p> </p><p>Defra funded a rapid evidence assessment in 2022 to better understand the costs, benefits, and efficiencies of installing filters in washing machines to trap textile microfibres during the laundry cycle and before discharge to wastewater treatment works. Evidence gaps were identified from the review and the conclusion was made that further information is required to meet the legal framework to drive action. For example, there is a need to better understand how to avert additional costs incurred by consumers of new washing machines with filters, and the consumer’s sustainable disposal of used filters. We need to ensure all evidence to support the introduction of filters is robust and fully reviewed. We have conveyed this to the industry, and we look forward to any proposals they are able to share when they are able to do so.</p><p> </p><p>We are also working with the UK water industry to understand the effectiveness of other interventions in the wastewater system to tackle microplastic pollution and to characterise and quantify microplastics and fibres entering wastewater treatment works. Research to-date shows that wastewater treatment plants are effective at removing microplastics and -fibres from wastewater from the home environment, with up to 99% of microplastic particles removed throughout the wastewater treatment process.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 25/03/2024 15:42:47 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1695258

registered interest
date	12/03/2024
answering body	Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
answering dept id	211
answering dept short name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
answering dept sort name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
hansard heading	Supported Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent progress his Department has made on publishing national supported housing standards under the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	18078
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2024 answer text <p>The Government is determined to improve standards in supported housing, which is why – thanks to my Hon Friend the Member for Harrow East - the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023 provides for National Supported Housing Standards, which will be enforced through a licensing regime across all local authorities in England. In developing these standards, my department is engaging extensively including with residents of supported housing and people with lived experience. The Government will be consulting formally on the proposed National Supported Housing Standards in due course.</p> answering member constituency Kensington answering member printed Felicity Buchan question first answered 19/03/2024 16:19:50 answering member 4821 label Biography information for Felicity Buchan
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1694989

registered interest
date	11/03/2024
answering body	Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
answering dept id	215
answering dept short name	Energy Security and Net Zero
answering dept sort name	Energy Security and Net Zero
hansard heading	District Heating
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the number of individual houses that could be connected to heat networks.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	17841
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/03/2024 answer text <p>The Government’s analysis shows that heat networks could provide about 20% of total heat by 2050 up from the 3% currently. They will provide a greater proportion in the urban areas that will be covered by the heat network zoning legislation in England which will designate areas where heat networks are expected to provide the lowest cost, low carbon heating.</p><p> </p><p>As part of Heat Network Zoning the Government will provide local communities with the tools to accelerate the development of heat networks and ensure that more homes and businesses can have access to greener, cheaper heat. This will include tools that will enable them to identify the number of buildings that are likely to be connected to district heating in these zones.</p> answering member constituency Derby North answering member printed Amanda Solloway question first answered 15/03/2024 15:35:43 answering member 4372 label Biography information for Amanda Solloway
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1694990

registered interest
date	11/03/2024
answering body	Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
answering dept id	215
answering dept short name	Energy Security and Net Zero
answering dept sort name	Energy Security and Net Zero
hansard heading	District Heating: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the National Infrastructure Commission's report entitled The Second National Infrastructure Assessment, published on 1 October 2023, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the recommendation to provide subsidies to help property owners connect to a heat network.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	17842
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/03/2024 answer text <p>The UK Government is investing over half a billion pounds in funds and programmes to develop new heat networks and improve existing ones. The Green Heat Network Fund is the primary funding mechanism to develop new and existing low carbon heat networks across England. The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme can also fund connections to heat networks. With the introduction of heat network zoning, we will assess how the Green Heat Network Fund should evolve in the future. The recommendations of the National Infrastructure Commission will be taken into account in this exercise.</p> answering member constituency Derby North answering member printed Amanda Solloway question first answered 15/03/2024 15:34:35 answering member 4372 label Biography information for Amanda Solloway
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1694991

registered interest
date	11/03/2024
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Nature for Climate Fund: Saltmarshes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of including a grant scheme for saltmarshes in the Nature for Climate Fund.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	17843
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2024 answer text <p>The UK recognises the important role that saltmarsh can play in climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience. Saltmarsh habitats are also richly biodiverse, benefit fish stocks and provide a crucial buffer from coastal flooding.</p><p> </p><p>Building on this recognition, the UK Government is supporting blue carbon restoration efforts through various initiatives, for example by providing £640,000 funding for domestic blue carbon habitat restoration.</p><p> </p><p>This includes funds to support the development of a Saltmarsh Code to help drive investment flows from the private sector towards nature. This funding has also increased the capacity of the Restoring Meadow, Marsh and Reef initiative (ReMeMaRe), helping to create a pipeline of restoration projects in saltmarsh and other key estuarine and coastal habitats.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has set up the UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership in partnership with the Devolved Administrations to address evidence gaps that currently prevent the inclusion of saltmarsh habitats in the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory (GHGI). Inclusion of saltmarsh in the GHGI and the development of a Saltmarsh Code will allow blue carbon to be marketed and traded as a carbon offset, leveraging private investment into these vital natural carbon stores.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, funding has been made available for saltmarsh restoration through the Landscape Recovery and Countryside Stewardship Environmental Land Management schemes. In the ELMS Countryside Stewardship scheme approximately 5,000 hectares of saltmarsh is being maintained or restored to a good condition.</p><p> </p><p>The £750m of Nature for Climate funding is due to end in March 2025 and the Programme will be delivering against its agreed Business Case in that time. The Fund’s impact is being evaluated and any future funding for Trees, Peat and Saltmarshes will be a matter for the next Spending Review. We are continuing to explore further means of supporting saltmarsh restoration.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 22/03/2024 09:32:35 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1694992

registered interest
date	11/03/2024
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Marine Environment: Conservation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Evidence Needs Statement published by the UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership in June 2023.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	17844
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2024 answer text <p>The UK established the cross-Administration UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership (UKBCEP) to progress the evidence base on blue carbon habitats in UK waters. Through this partnership, Defra, DESNZ and the Devolved Administrations share information, data and knowledge on blue carbon evidence across UK administrations.</p><p> </p><p>The UKBCEP’s Evidence Needs Statement, published last year (2023), will support our ambition to fill critical evidence gaps relating to blue carbon habitats, increasing our understanding and thereby our ability to protect and restore these important habitats. These evidence gaps currently prevent the inclusion of coastal wetlands in the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory (GHGI)that would allow for saltmarsh habitats to contribute to the UK’s Net Zero target in accounting terms.</p><p> </p><p>The UKBCEP’s Evidence Needs Statement will help to address this, and together with our £640,000 funding commitment, will enable the development of a UK Saltmarsh Code, which will allow saltmarsh carbon to be marketed and traded as a carbon offset, prompting further investment in these crucial habitats; and support the creation of a restoration project pipeline for blue carbon habitats in the UK.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 18/03/2024 14:37:15 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy